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 Natural Stone Institute Member CompanyGallegos
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Residential – Single Family
Private Residence - Vail
Vail, Colorado
More than five years after Gallegos first looked at preliminary drawings and provided budgets for a private residence in Vail, Colorado, the project is complete and is a stunning representation of modern architecture and masonry craftsmanship.
The owners desired their home to be appointed with hand selected, one-of-a-kind materials that would withstand the test of time. Meant to entertain guests as though they were at a five-star resort, the residence features a spa, massage rooms, glass pool and exquisite views of the Gore Range.
The contractor asked Gallegos to provide pricing and expert guidance on material selections and installation methods for the stucco, exterior stone veneer, and interior marbles, granites, and exotic stones. Their work is prevalent in all rooms and decks of this stunning residence.
The exterior stone veneer was sourced out of China, something Gallegos has done numerous times without issues. This time was different. About halfway through the exterior stone fabrication and installation, China closed the quarry, declaring that it was in a tourist region. This sent Gallegos scrambling, with forty percent of the exterior cladding installation complete and no budget to remove and replace the installed material. They were extremely lucky to find a similar material in Vietnam that was close enough in color and texture to blend in with the original material and not lose time.
The interior stones and other exterior and interior materials were primarily sourced through suppliers in Italy. The natural marbles and granites were installed in either a vein match or a book match pattern.
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Natural Stone Institute Member CompanyVM Kaldorf
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Commercial Exterior
Chateau Lynch-Bages New Bordeaux Winery
Pauillac, France
The Lynch-Bages Chateau in the French Bordeaux region was recently redesigned as a multi-use building. Embedded in a picturesque winemaker village, the complex now unites the formerly separate operations of vinification, a wine barrel cellar, office space, and a visitors’ center.
The owner family, PEI Partnership Architects of New York City, and local architect BPM of Bordeaux took on the unprecedented task of harmonizing different functional and design- related requirements.
By working with transparency, light and open space, patrons can see the wine making operations from the reception and tasting area. This immersive brand experience brings the clientele much closer to the product. The design is translating the existing traditional Chateau into today using glass and stone in clear geometrical shapes.
The façade is of Jura beige vein cut limestone, quarried and fabricated by VM Kaldorf and a contrasting base board of Zimbabwe black granite, both 40mm thick. The veining creates a flowing effect which is evenly accentuated by fluted pieces above and at the sides of the reception and main dock entrance. Marbrier Pierre Taille of Paris installed the stone façade as the center piece of the entrance area welcomes the client with warm color tones and the self confidence of a very successful Bordeaux winery.
The design intent of a plain and undisturbed surface was met by replacing visible joints with joggled joints all over the façade. They were designed by VM Kaldorf and every single panel was rebated in a distinctive pattern on their CNC machinery. Fluted pieces with all honed surfaces, sharp and square edges serve as special design elements. Assembled from a mother panel and pinned and glued fins, precision and care in fabrication, assembly, and matching the veining were paramount.
Nine years from planning to groundbreaking resulted in something truly unprecedented and special: The new Lynch-Bages winery in Pauillac.
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Natural Stone Institute Member CompanyGallegos
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Residential – Single Family
Willow Court
Aspen, Colorado
More than five years after Gallegos first looked at preliminary drawings and provided budgets for a private residence in Vail, Colorado, the project is complete and is a stunning representation of modern architecture and masonry craftsmanship.
The owners desired their home to be appointed with hand selected, one-of-a-kind materials that would withstand the test of time. Meant to entertain guests as though they were at a five-star resort, the residence features a spa, massage rooms, glass pool and exquisite views of the Gore Range.
The contractor asked Gallegos to provide pricing and expert guidance on material selections and installation methods for the stucco, exterior stone veneer, and interior marbles, granites, and exotic stones. Their work is prevalent in all rooms and decks of this stunning residence.
The exterior stone veneer was sourced out of China, something Gallegos has done numerous times without issues. This time was different. About halfway through the exterior stone fabrication and installation, China closed the quarry, declaring that it was in a tourist region. This sent Gallegos scrambling, with forty percent of the exterior cladding installation complete and no budget to remove and replace the installed material. They were extremely lucky to find a similar material in Vietnam that was close enough in color and texture to blend in with the original material and not lose time.
The interior stones and other exterior and interior materials were primarily sourced through suppliers in Italy. The natural marbles and granites were installed in either a vein match or a book match pattern.
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Natural Stone Institute Member CompanyAncient Art of Stone
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Residential – Single Family
Memories Surround Me
Spokane, Washington
Andreas and Naomi Kunert of Ancient Art of Stone created the stone artwork “Memories Surround Me.”
This unique, fully functioning natural stone fireplace created in their studio on Vancouver Island was delivered to the clients’ new home 450 miles away in Spokane, Washington. The completed 22´ tall commission was delivered in two pieces on Christmas Eve as an anniversary gift to the client’s wife. The clients requested Kunert to design an artwork which captured the essence of their 50 years together and that filled the required space within the design of the great room while not overwhelming it. They wished the piece to represent their passion for fly fishing, their love of the movement and patterns in the waters, and the stones experienced, both large and small.
Kunert envisioned and proposed a scale drawing, suggesting the artwork rise from the “still waters” of polished basalt, with sandstone blocks on either side carved into shorelines, creating the desired secret caverns for their use. This cradles a lifetime of stories and adventures that rise into the all-encompassing Fibonacci sequence of life, a swirl of stones. A hybrid concrete substructure supported the tons of stone being secured to it and then moved. It was then enveloped in sandstone blocks which were carved, adding a granite mantle and glacial erratics, ascending into an astonishingly complex pattern of sacred geometry. Giving movement to the stone was intensely challenging, yet imperative in giving the piece a feeling of lightness and spiritual grace.
The final challenge was to lift the piece by crane from the low bed onto the foundation within the initial framing of the house, which was set within an exclusive residential neighborhood in sub-zero temperatures. Ancient Art of Stone was intimately involved in every aspect of the project. They designed the artwork, sourced the stone, created the commission in their studio, and delivered and oversaw the final installation into the client’s home.
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Natural Stone Institute Member CompanyRugo Stone
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Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials
Reconstruction for Lawyers’ Mall
Annapolis, Maryland
The complete replacement and expansion of the large urban streetscape and a crossing located just in front of the Maryland State Capital in Annapolis, MD is still known as Lawyers’ Mall.
This prominent plaza is a gathering point for the legislators and attorneys working in the state capital. The focal point of the plaza is a salvaged and restored limestone colonnade element from a previous design as well as the bronze statue of the late US Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.
Rugo Stone worked closely with a partnered supplier to design, fabricate and finally install over 10,000 sq. ft. of granite paving, steps, benches, and staircases to clad this streetscape. The granite pieces feature many custom finishes, which create a very uniform and bold appearance. The Indiana limestone colonnade and pedestal were carefully dismantled by Rugo Stone and transported to their marble shop for restoration. The stone was so heavily soiled that it required nearly two months of work that encompassed cleaning, patching, and dutchman repairs.
The bronze statue of Justice Marshall, original to the Mall, was temporarily on display at a remote state office building plaza. Rugo Stone’s skilled rigging team dismantled the statue and relocated it to its original setting. The rigging and crane operations at the newly renovated Mall were challenging due to very tight tolerances and the weight of the statute.
The project had many challenges. Being in a historical part of the city, the narrow streets and proximity to historical buildings was challenging from a crane operations and deliveries standpoint. The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the weather had its own influence on the work of the crews and fellow trades on site. Despite all this, the Mall was dedicated as scheduled in December 2020.
This project is an excellent example of using and blending new granite into a historical urban streetscape.
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Natural Stone Institute Member CompanyCamarata Masonry Systems
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Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials
Houston Botanic Garden
Houston, Texas
The 132-acre Houston Botanic Garden is an urban oasis located on an old municipal golf course in Houston, TX. The project is divided into four primary areas: the entrance, the pavilion, the alcove wall, and fountain.
The Calypso Coral stone’s unique and rustic appearance on the 46-feet long walls at the entrance set the tone. The pavilion’s stone cladding continues the natural outdoor appearance while serving as a welcome center for visitors. Without any doubt, the focal point of the project is the 470-feet long alcove wall with its 1˝ thick Calypso Coral stone cladding on one face, and split-face block on the opposite face. The stone cladding has an intricate recessed groove which interfaces with the specific location of 55 planter boxes that are built into the wall. The plant opening at the stone face is 2˝ tall by 15˝ long to cover the planter box in the masonry wall and allow ample room for the plant to “feed” down the face of the stone cladding.
The green wall portion of the Calypso Coral stone, when quarried, is located at the top of the natural ground surface. The proximity to the surface is what yields the unique finish with the characteristic sizable voids. This material was the critical component needed to achieve the desired appearance and function of the alcove wall fountain. The blocks were hand selected by the architect who took into account their size, location within the fountain, and surface area of the green wall finish.
As is often the case, being afforded the opportunity to see this material in person made the decision process much easier, as the team was confident with the final selection. The finished fountain offers a rustic, natural appearance with characteristic natural voids which are ideal for the placement of the plant life.
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Natural Stone Institute Member CompanyJantile Specialties
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Commercial Interior
New York-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
Brooklyn, New York
The Center for Community Health at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, is located on 6th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in the quaint Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope. Jantile Specialties, of Armonk, New York, won the bid to furnish and install all tile and natural stone throughout this new construction project.
While coordination was required among all trades, the project ran smoothly in conjunction with General Contractor, Lend-Lease. The Jantile Specialties team, led by Pauric Curristin and Jennifer Coyne, completed six sky lobbies and over one hundred patient bathrooms and linen rooms. However, the most impressive work was installed in the main lobby showcasing a marble feature wall extending eighteen feet in height. The lobby also includes a twenty-foot long angular reception desk, two kiosk desks, a credenza, and a café. To create the hospital’s architectural focal point, Jantile Specialties worked closely with the owner, New York Presbyterian, and architect, Perkins Eastman, to create a truly breathtaking entry. The feature wall consists of 106 custom made Calacatta Caldia panels assembled into six tiers, each partially cascading over the panel beneath it. Raw material was hand selected by the owner, architect, and Jantile personnel over multiple trips to Italian quarries.
Strategic fabrication and assembly were required, as all panels had mitered stone returns on every side to create depth and dimension. Each panel had its own individual clipping system of varying lengths which was integral to achieve this impressive design.
The stone installation was a puzzle assembly and had limited room for error. It was imperative that each individual panel be placed in the precise location, in order to successfully complete the overall effect. The wall’s design intent presents a spectacular visual greeting to all who enter this building.